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SDCC 3.5.0 has just been released. Alan Cox' FUZIX has brought the Z80 suport in 3.4.0 a bit more into the spotlight, resulting in improvements since, which also benefit ColecoVision developers. A recent presentation on SDCC can be found at http://video.fosdem.org/2015/devroom-embedded/8bit_compiler.mp4 See below for the announcement with the list of the most important changes. Philipp -------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: [sdcc-user] SDCC 3.5.0 Released Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 11:55:29 +0200 (CEST) From: Maarten Brock <sourceforge.brock@dse.nl> Reply-To: sdcc-user@lists.sourceforge.net To: sdcc-user@lists.sourceforge.net, sdcc-devel@lists.sourceforge.net Hello SDCC friends, Today a new release of SDCC was made. We are now at version 3.5.0. You can get it at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sdcc/files/ So what's new? * --disable-non-free configure option * Changed default language dialect from --std-sdcc89 to --std-sdcc99 * Reorganized and updated manual * Reduced memory consumption (most noticeable for high --max-allocs-per-node) * Faster compilation for stm8 (most noticeable for high --max-allocs-per-node) * atoll() function for conversion of strings to long long * __z88dk_fastcall and __z88dk_callee calling conventions for more efficient function calls and better compability with z88dk * --lospre-unsafe-read renamed to --allow-unsafe-read And of course numerous feature requests and bug fixes are included as well. Once again I hope you will enjoy using this new release. Maarten Brock SDCC 3.5.0 Release Manager

Assuming byte is a typedef to unsigned char, all the warnings are right. unsigned char can't hod -1. signed char cannot hold 254 or 175. Philipp

What are the types of counter and put_char()? Philipp

Sorry, there were some delays due to hardware issues on teh MAcOS X build infrastructure. The release candidate can now be found at: http://sourceforge.net/projects/sdcc/files/ Philipp

No. They could mean something like "not a modification of an existing game" or "not a port of a game to the ColecoVision (arcade or other system)". They could also mean "gameplay and story never seen before in any video game", etc. Philipp

What would you consider to be a "creative" or "original" title? Which of my games (http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/games/) would you consider to fall into these categories and why or why not? Philipp

sdcc 3.5.0 is to be released soon. Today, there will be release candidate 1. You can download the release candidate and have a look at it. The more eyes on it, the less likely are hidden bugs. The main changes from previous sdcc 3.4.0 are: Many fixes and improvements in the stm8 port --disable-non-free configure option z80 port fixes long long fixes Changed default language dialect from --std-sdcc89 to --std-sdcc99 Reorganized and updated manual Reduced memory consumption (most noticeable for high --max-allocs-per-node) Faster compilation for stm8 (most noticeable for high --max-allocs-per-node) atoll() function for conversion of strings to long long __z88dk_fastcall and __z88dk_callee calling conventions for more efficient function calls and better compability with z88dk --lospre-unsafe-read renamed to --allow-unsafe-read I think all ColecoVision programmers will want to change from 3.4.0 to 3.5.0. Of particular interest are the z80 bug fixes and the long long bug fixes. The z80 port is also affected by the reduced memory consumption, which matters for those compiling at high --max-allocs-per-node for more optimization. z88dk is another free compiler for the z80; sdcc generates better code when compiling C, and supports more C features. The z88dk philosophy is to have lots of asm-implemented functions, and use C for a glue layer on top. Thus z88dk has features for efficient calls to asm functions from C. We now also support those in sdcc via __z88dk_fstcall and __z88dk_callee. Philipp

How would you categorize games that can use, but do not need certain hardware? E.g. a game that has an extra level when the SGM is present? Or a game that can be played with normal controllers, but using a Super Action controller offers more options (e.g. in Search for the Stolen Crown Jewels 2, there is a level, where you have 4 gun turrets; with the Super action controller you can fire from all 4 at all times, with the normal controllers you fire always from the topones (unless those are already destroyed, when it switches to the lower towers)). Philipp

Actually I first got the idea for brown because it reminds me of the color of the T&T books. There will probably be 4 or 5 different colors. Philipp

Yes. Brown is one of the colors that will probably be included. Philipp

For some years, I have been selling ColecoVision hombrew kits (http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/development/Homebrew%20kit.shtml) to people wanting to make ColecoVision cartridges. By now, I've nearly run out of cartridge shells for them. I'm considering making another batch of 2000 or so. I'm also considering offering more different colors. And I'm considering replacing the text "Made in Germany" by "ColecoVision". Whats your opinion on this? Philipp

The list of released games is at: http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/games/ Philipp

Ȼi̅x̅ has three sonatas by Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti. Some of my other games, such as Bankruptcy Builder have music by Bach. My workflow is transcribe the music into abc from old sheets. From the abc source I can then create pdf sheets (using abcm2ps and ps2pdf) and data for the ColecoVision (using abc2cvm). Philipp P.S.: I attached the pdf for the music in Ȼi̅x̅.

sdcc essentially compiles one function at a time. So there probably is a single function in your code for which the excessive memory usage happens. Can you isolate it and make a small, compileable code sample? Can you check if the problem still happens with curent development versions of sdcc, such as the snapshot builds? Philipp

Using a high value for --max-allocs-per-node without using --oldralloc does. It also gives excellent optimization. For --max-alloc-per-node 50000000 I'd recommend at least 64GB of RAM. The default is equivalent to --max-alloc-per-node 3000. Philipp

He is using --oldralloc, so --max-allocs-per-node only affects redundancy elimination, not register allocation. Philipp

32K is the max directly adddressable size. The extra 4 lines are chip enable signals for 8K segments (doing it that made way made some sense back when 32K carts had 4 8K chips in them. These days 32K carts have a single 32K or 64K chip in them, and need additional logic to handle the chip enable signals). Philipp

The list of my homebrew games can be found at http://colecovision.eu/ColecoVision/games/ For most of them, there's demo ROMs, too. Philipp

It's a it more complicated (Dungeon & Trolls also isn't meant to be an RPG): http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217719-tunnel-trolls/?do=findComment&comment=2849055 Philipp

I still intend to start working again on Tunnels and Trolls, but unfortunately, I'm too busy for some time to work on CV games. See also http://atariage.com/forums/topic/118543-colecovision-tt-rpg-very-early-techdemo/ http://atariage.com/forums/topic/217719-tunnel-trolls/page-2?do=findComment&comment=2849118 Philipp

You might want to look up the keyword __at in the sdcc manual. Philipp

I'm using a SCART to HDMI converter. Philipp

Sorry for the bad quality. I just took them with a phone camera under not so good lighting. Philipp

I have two original RGB ColecoVisions. AFAIK they were only sold in France back in the day, since TVs with RGB input were much more common there than in other places (support for RGB input via SCART had been mandatory in France for new TVs sold since January 1980). Philipp

Then I guess Yurkie's thread name "New RGB ColecoVision mod" confused me, since to me it implied that older mods also existed. There is just the remaining question of how RGB-modded ColecoVisions compare to original RGB ColecoVisions. Philipp